Short Sport, October 1, 2012

Blue Jays spoil Yankees' final sprint

The New York Yankees are making the last week of the Major League Baseball regular season very difficult for themselves. Adeiny Hechavarria doubled home the tiebreaking run in the sixth inning and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Yankees 3-2. New York fell into a first-place tie with Baltimore after the Orioles beat Boston 4-3 later in the day. "We had chances to blow that game open and we didn't," manager Joe Girardi said. "You look at the opportunities that you have and you say, 'We could have a pretty big lead here', but we didn't do it." Toronto's Rajai Davis homered and had three hits as the Blue Jays heaped more pressure on the Yankees, who wasted several opportunities. AP

Povetkin holds on to title against Rahman

Russia's Alexander Povetkin retained his WBA world heavyweight title in Hamburg with a second-round stoppage of former world champion Hasim Rahman, of the United States. Povetkin, 33, extended his undefeated record to 25 fights with 18 victories coming inside the distance. The 39-year-old Rahman, who famously relieved Britain's Lennox Lewis of his world titles in 2001, fell to his eighth career defeat against 41 wins and two draws. Povetkin defeated Uzbekistan's Ruslan Chagaeva in 2008 to win the WBA belt and had already defended it with wins over Cedric Boswell and Marco Huck. Rahman looked a shadow of the fighter who beat Lewis in South Africa in 2001 to claim the WBC and IBF crowns in a stunning fifth-round knockout. AFP

Gasquet ends drought with Thailand victory

Richard Gasquet snapped a title drought stretching back 2½ years as he beat Gilles Simon 6-2, 6-1 in an all-French final yesterday at the Thailand Open. Gasquet last lifted a tennis trophy in Nice, France, in May 2010. His Bangkok victory over the 19th-ranked Simon came on his debut week in the Thai capital. AFP

Defending champion Murray meets Monfils

In-form Andy Murray will defend his Japan Open tennis title starting  today fresh from winning his first grand slam at the US Open, but he faces a tricky encounter in the form of resurgent Frenchman Gael Monfils. The 25-year-old Murray, the top seed in Tokyo, swept to the title last year by beating Rafael Nadal of Spain in the final. AFP